Tigers, Indians Trade For Pitching

Doug Fister and David Pauley from Seattle for Charlie Furbush, Casper Wells, and AA Erie third baseman Francisco Martinez.  

Fister becomes the fifth starter. Pauley goes into middle relief. They're Mariners pitchers. That means they're good. 

Furbush was okay in relief but had some rough outings as a starter. On the M's loaded pitching staff, he'll be a spot starter and pitch long relief, and prove to be a fine big league moundsman -- no doubt during some future Tigers visit to Safeco.

Casper Wells deservedly gets to play every day. We can still call him Casper The Friendly Outfielder. Only not as often.

At the ball park, top starting prospect Jacob Turner made a very respectable major league debut against the Angels, giving up three hits and two runs, walking three and striking out six in five plus innings. The Halos took some BP off Phil Coke in the sixth, and Dan Haren pitched nine innings of six-hit, one run ball. Final: 5-2, them.

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In Cleveland, the Indians' radio announcers must have been watching Rockies-Padres on MLB between pitches of their game.

They reported that Ubaldo Jiminez, after allowing four runs in the first two innings, got a round of hugs from his teammates in the dugout.

Players hugging during a game on July 30 is the modern indicator that a trade has been consummated.

And it was; Ubaldo to the Indians for Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, and two other minor leaguers.

By trading their two top pitching prospects, both first round draft picks, for ace Jiminez, the Tribe has told the AL Central that they're going for broke; all contenders and Pretenders, beware.

To drive the point home, they won again in walkoff fashion, 5-2 over KC on a three run homer by Matt Laporte.